My youth story cannot be a knight war

Unexpectedly, after seeing Zaimokuza's reaction, Miou went even further, standing on tiptoe and stroking his hair. Zaimokuza felt as if she were soothing a pet, and his eyes narrowed into a pair of dead fish eyes.

[But looking at the bright smile in front of him, Zaimokuza's heart was moved involuntarily, and a scene suddenly flashed before his eyes.]

[——From the main perspective, a young girl looked up at "herself." She was wearing a simple white linen dress. She clasped a hand pressed against her head with both hands, smiling and squinting her eyes. She even rubbed her head against the hand like a small animal.]

Is this also Mr. Riku's memory? Zaimokuza wondered, but then Miou's voice brought him back to his senses.

“This matter dates back to when our ancestors first arrived on this land.”

The smile on Miou's lips gradually faded, and a dark haze emerged from his eyes.

“When our ancestors first arrived in this land, we all formed the first tribe in this unfamiliar land, and then settled here and multiplied.”

"The most fundamental requirement for a civilization is a sufficient number of people. We also kept in mind the teachings of our ancestors and upheld the principle of never harming other lives. Thus, we survived. Over a long period of time... a relative opinion began to emerge within the group."

"What happened?"

[…Some members of the clan have begun to question the teachings passed down by their ancestors.]

[Pursing her lips, Miou's voice lowered a few notches.]

"Because we followed our training so closely, we never harmed any intelligent creatures. Later on, we even stopped harming ordinary animals... Over time, starting from a certain generation, our entire tribe lost the concept and understanding of killing."

"Then you are truly remarkable."

Zaimokuza exclaimed with heartfelt admiration. As a modern human, he understood better than Miou how remarkable, even incredible, this behavior truly was.

【But Miou did not feel happy about his praise, instead she showed a somewhat bitter smile.】

"Perhaps... but this also leads to new problems."

"In that era, after experiencing destruction and then reproducing, the Lindo people didn't completely lose all knowledge of past civilizations over the long period of time, but very little remained. Our technology back then, if described in today's terms, would be 'abnormal.'"

"We do possess technologies that are beyond our time, but these technologies are also extremely destructive, as many of them have a high potential to harm other lives. We have always followed our teachings, so ultimately these technologies were sealed away by our tribe's priests."

"But if we do that, we'll have to start from scratch and develop a completely different path to human civilization than before. The world back then was far too harsh for our kind."

“Countless natural disasters have plagued us, preventing us from harvesting a good harvest. Due to our training, we are not proficient in hunting. As a result, many members of our tribe die from hunger or disease every year, and those who survive can only struggle to persevere.”

[“And this is the source and beginning of all subsequent conflicts.”]

【“…”】

Zaimokuza could only remain silent in response to Miou's recounting of these past events. Is it wrong for the Rindos to not want to harm other lives? Of course, it's right. From the moment the concept of morality emerged among humans, this behavior and thinking already stood at the pinnacle of morality. No one could criticize the Rindos, for they truly stood at the pinnacle of human morality.

However, morality doesn't necessarily apply to this world, because morality is a human creation, but the world itself is not. The world has its own laws, and human concepts of good and evil are too insignificant to the world.

"Over a long period of time, this conflict, initially minor, grew due to dissatisfaction within the group, and eventually became a serious problem that our entire group had to face."

[Having said this, Miou sighed helplessly, a sigh filled with complex emotions that were difficult to describe.]

"At first, someone in the tribe proposed abandoning one of the teachings passed down by their ancestors and starting to learn hunting, using other animals as a new source of food. This would prevent many people from dying of starvation, and this proposal was supported by many in the tribe."

"But this also led to fierce opposition from another group of people. They believed that the teachings passed down by their ancestors should not be abolished, even if it was just one. If the bottom line was crossed, the disaster that had occurred before would have the potential to return. Therefore, they must not make the same mistake again."

"A heated debate ensued between the two sides over this issue. Although they eventually negotiated a compromise, an undeniable rift had already opened within the once fortress-like tribe... and this conflict ultimately erupted."

"At the time, the bravest member of the tribe went with another to gather wild fruits for food. However, the other member was attacked and killed by a wild beast. The beast was the other member's best friend... In the end, the other member, enraged, killed the beast with his bare hands and brought its remains back to the tribe along with the bodies of the other members. This caused a huge sensation."

"Many members of the tribe supported that person's actions, but others believed he had violated the teachings and should be punished. Previous conflicts were reignited, and ultimately..."

[“…The tribe is divided, right?”]

Miou's voice faded to a whisper after this, and Zaimokuza, who had been listening silently, roughly guessed the final outcome and added.

He wasn't surprised by this outcome. Throughout history, organizations and nations have been divided by conflicting opinions, ambitions, and even interests, let alone ordinary ethnic groups. Especially when it comes to matters of life and death, the consequences of such accumulated conflicts are always similar.

【“…That’s right.”】

"And that group that split off was the future Gurongi?"

【"Um."】

[At Zaimokuza's question, Miou closed her eyes with a dejected look, her eyelashes trembling slightly due to the pain in her heart.]

[“The Rindo clan, who were divided at the time, could never have imagined that the situation would develop to this point later…”]

[“Not preventing the ethnic group from being divided was the biggest mistake Lindo has ever made.”]

The girl lowered her head, her slender shoulders twitching slightly with emotion. Zaimokuza reached out to support her and spoke in a deep voice.

"What happened afterwards... right? That's what led to the split tribe becoming the Gurongi we are today?"

"Yes, Mr. Zaimokuza."

[Clutching her skirt with both hands, the girl whispered what happened next.]

"At the beginning, many like-minded tribesmen followed that person and left the tribe. This included the tribe's priestess at the time. She and the warrior were in a romantic relationship, so she resolutely abandoned her duties... This incident truly sowed the seeds of all the disasters that followed."

"Is there something wrong with that priest?"

"It's not as simple as a problem. Rather, that priest is the descendant of a line of priests passed down through generations within the clan. Every priest in every generation has always possessed miraculous powers beyond our imagination... Yes, that's what you, Mr. Zaimokuza, call superpowers."

"Superpowers??? Do such things really exist? Or can they be inherited?"

Zaimokuza was surprised when he heard this word, but then he felt relieved. After all, he had dealt with those Gurongi so many times in the past year, and he probably didn't even believe that he could still maintain his previous materialistic views.

"But it's just a psychic ability. It's hard to surprise him right now. To shake Zaimokuza's current state of mind, the gods mentioned in the Bible must appear before him."

[——What Komiou said next completely shattered Zaimokuza's composure.]

[“Yes, superpowers do exist, and it is this priestess, it is her…”]

[Miou opened her eyes. Her beautiful eyes had never been so dull.]

[“Later, the ‘Ultimate Darkness’ was summoned.”]

33. The War Begins

[“…What’s going on?”]

Zaimokuza felt his heart uncontrollably quicken its pace at this moment. The calm mindset he had cultivated through the years of life-and-death battles was like a mountain crashing into a lake, sending ripples that impacted every nerve ending in his body.

Zaimokuza understood that he would finally know how everything had developed to this point. Both the source of this series of battles and the final outcome for those who inherited this fate.

[“The main reason why the Gurongi tribe has become what it is today is due to the division of the tribe and the departure of that priest…”]

【Tokyo, Setagaya-ku, Komazawa, Central Gymnasium. 】

【03:25 PM】

"Your uncle's!!!"

Just before Miou was about to tell the truth about all this, the video on the screen suddenly switched, and a huge gymnasium appeared on it.

This scene forced Sato Kazuma, who had been completely absorbed in the story unfolding outside the screen, to nearly fall off the bed. Several senbei (rice crackers) and the plate they were on fell to the floor, and he cursed out loud in surprise.

"What the hell! It just cuts off right at the most exciting and important part! How did those primitive people become the monsters they are today? Explain it to me!"

Sato Kazuma put on a mask of pain on his face, his eyes were bloodshot, and he stared fiercely at the light screen in front of him.

This scene, full of a sense of déjà vu, immediately awakened extremely bad memories for him. As a former loyal fan of the old thief named Togashi and the current leader of his anti-fans, Sato Kazuma was almost suffering from PTSD from the sight of the story switching or being interrupted at the critical moment.

Sato Kazuma still remembers that when he was young and ignorant, he was eagerly waiting for the update of "Hunter x Hunter" after several months. Then, his appetite was completely whetted by the plot, and he was prepared to wait for another month, wanting to prove to the world that his devotion had never faded.

Even if the god you worship has passed away, dusk is the only time that can witness the loyalty of believers!

Then he waited for a year, and in the end he only received news that the old thief had won big again playing mahjong.

Thanks to this, his boasts and debates on the forums were revived by the same trolls who initially criticized him, pinned to the top of the forums and ridiculed. There were even a bunch of people leaving comments under the post, demanding that Sato Kazuma fulfill his promise to "get fucked on WC Live" if he stopped updating for more than six months.

Afterward, a mortified Sato Kazuma, his love for Jump turning into hatred, his former lover turning into an extreme hater. He used his monthly salary to buy a bunch of razor blades and a pep talk, and mailed them to Jump. Jump, however, was not surprised by this horrifying gift, as the bullets they had received over the years alone could fill a room.

At least back then, Sato Kazuma could still threaten Jump, his professional shield. But now, facing this still-unclear light screen, he didn't know who to scold. He felt extremely frustrated and could only rage helplessly. Besides his room, the outside world was also filled with curses.

Obviously, people are always full of malice towards the plot points when the story takes a turn at a key plot point, and this is true in any world.

Because the gymnasium was undergoing renovations, even though it was Saturday, the entire gymnasium was completely silent. Even the cleaners had gone home for the holiday.

Although the vast building was now illuminated by sunlight, a strange, sinister aura permeated its entire structure, coursing through every passageway within. This atmosphere darkened the already silent interior, evoking a sense of darkness, evoking the dilapidated medieval castles inhabited by vampires. Even in the still-daylight hours, it instilled an instinctive sense of dread.

Animals' instincts are more acute than humans'. Within a radius of at least three kilometers from the stadium, all animals fell silent. Pets huddled in their cages, shivering. Insects mostly hid in tree trunks or the dirt. Birds, including those that had been preparing to fly here from the north for the winter, took off from the forest, desperately flying far into the distance.

Because animals can clearly sense danger through the genes in their DNA, even though there are no vampires in this stadium right now, there are life forms far more terrifying than vampires.

In the center of the empty, dimly lit stadium, only one light was on. In the direct sunlight, two figures stood facing each other silently, neither uttering a single word.

Baruba, who had recently returned from the hospital, stood expressionlessly, her arms folded. Across from her stood Dorudo. It had returned to its original form, but its clothing still bore the scarves of the neuroshock bullet it had been hit with. It was ragged and bloodstained. The only thing that remained unchanged was the scarf around its neck.

It also stood silently, holding an object wrapped in a piece of buttercloth in its left hand. At its feet was a plastic bag containing the damaged stone abacus.

"Disgusting taste."

A cold, dignified voice echoed from the darkness. The two people standing under the light turned their heads in unison, looking towards a certain spot. A resolute man in military uniform, taking steady steps, gradually emerged from the light.

Gadoru's eyes flickered between Baruba and Dorudo in front of him. After a quick glance at Baruba, he fixed his gaze firmly on Dorudo.

[“You not only smell of your own blood, but also the scent of Lindo warriors. The owner of this scent is approaching here.”]

[“…During the previous battle with Daguber, he tricked me.”]

Dorudo suddenly stretched out his right hand, then used his fingers to tear open the clothing on his chest and stabbed it into the center of his chest. He then spread his fingers and stirred them inside his body.

The sound of ripping flesh and crackling bones was heard, and the combined force of these sounds sent shivers down Dorudo's palm, where blood flowed from the wound onto the ground.

Gadoru and Baruba, witnessing this bloody scene, remained calm, and Dorudo, the victim, didn't even utter a single groan of pain. About a minute later, its right hand pulled an organ from the wound in its chest. Judging by the location of the wound, it was likely a lung.

[“…This should be it.”]

[Dorudo spoke in a distorted and fuzzy voice, pinching his lung with his right hand. His right thumb forcibly pried something from the bloody lung, and it dropped to the ground with a distinct brass sound.]

It was a tiny bullet, with four tiny hooks protruding from its end. Its center was hollowed out, and a faint red light flickered continuously within. The next second, the bullet was crushed by a military boot that stepped on it, Gadoru exclaimed in admiration.

"As expected of a warrior favored by Daguba, even you suffered at his hands. You truly have the potential to become 'N'."

[The previous sentence was still praise, but the tone of the next sentence suddenly changed, filled with murderous intent and fighting spirit.]

【“——The premise is that he can survive next time.”】

"Is Daguber your next target?"

Dorudo retracted his lungs into his chest, and Baruba, who had been silent until then, raised his head and spoke calmly after hearing Gadoru's words.

"Of course. How could I possibly let such an outstanding warrior like him go? Whether I kill him or he kills me, this battle will be without regrets."

Gadoru walked over, glanced at her, then turned his gaze back to Dorudo, his voice becoming cold again.

"Is it resolved?"

[…The previous corpse counting disk was completely destroyed and cannot be repaired… However, before being killed by Daguba, Nu left behind a spare, so it should be fine to use as a replacement.]

Dorudo held out the tarpaulin with his left hand, and Gadoru took it without hesitation, peeling back the tarpaulin to reveal the contents. It was the same corpse counting plate found in the plastic bag at Dorudo's feet, the only difference being that it was a bit older.

[“Not bad, it can indeed be used as a substitute.”]

After inspecting the body counting plate, Gadoru nodded slightly and handed it to Baruba.

"But your game will have to restart from now on. The previous number of players will be invalidated, but the time limit will still be the same as the original one... Is that okay?"

Baruba puts away the replacement and looks at Gadoru, asking.

[“It doesn’t matter. For me, even if there’s only one day left, it’s enough.”]

Gadoru offered no objection to this unfair outcome, his expression remaining unchanged. But as he shifted his gaze to the silent Dorudo, his voice became as commanding and commanding as his eyes, his every word brimming with chilling murderous intent.

"But that doesn't mean the matter is over. To use a saying from this era, 'You can escape the death penalty, but you can't escape the punishment of life.'"

[“To be responsible for the game I previously scrapped, and for those Lindo warriors who died gloriously at my hands and became worthless—you must take this responsibility and die gloriously.”]

“…Please do as you please.”

Dorudo calmly agreed to Gadoru's "request," which made no secret of his desire to kill him. There was no trace of fear or anger in his voice, for he had long since lost his fear of death.

Gadoru, having received his reply, wasted no time. His tall figure twisted and transformed into the Rhinoceros Beetle-like Gurongi, now a nightmare for the Metropolitan Police Department. Dorudo's figure was also enveloped by the whirlwind, and two black crutch sticks, accompanied by blue light, extended from the center of his right hand.

Two powerful, oppressive forces suddenly permeated the entire stadium. Under this pressure, the single light overhead flickered, as if it was dreading the impending battle between the two most powerful Gurongi.

【“…”】

After witnessing this, Baruba, who had remained aloof, said nothing. She quickly turned around, taking the replacement corpse counting plate and slowly walked away. She had known what Gadoru was up to when he handed it to her. The other two, having completed their transformations, tacitly refrained from attacking, instead drawing their respective weapons.

As she walked away and entered the side corridor of the stadium, a dazzling blue light illuminated the stadium behind her. Then, several violent wind blades cut through the entrance, and the falling debris blocked the corridor entrance.